do a never

do a never (third-person singular simple present does a never, present participle doing a never, simple past did a never, past participle done a never)

1. (UK, naval, slang, dated) To mess about; to idle instead of working.
   • 1943, Robert Burgess, Roland Blackburn, We Joined the Navy:

     The Chief Buffer has got a howl on now because he got a blast from Torps, as so many of the part of ship hands were doing a never on the messdecks instead of working the main derrick.

• endeavor